Key areas the Yankees need to address before the playoffs

A look at the Yankees' shortstop competition

Since Opening Day in 2023, the Yankees have had all of their eggs in the Anthony Volpe basket, playing all but three games in his rookie season and missing only two games in 2024. His time is up as the given shortstop, as he finally has competition for the starting role.

On July 31, the Bombers acquired shortstop/utility man Jose Caballero from the Tampa Bay Rays. While his offensive stats were nothing to write home about, his league-leading 34 stolen bases and impressive defense seemed to be exactly what the Yankees were lacking at short.

Since joining New York, Caballero has made a significant impact at the plate and in the field, adding three more homers to his season total and swiping 14 more bags. This, along with a partially torn labrum, has led to Anthony Volpe sitting in six straight games for the first time in his career from Sept. 10-15.

While Volpe still has the higher offensive ceiling over Caballero, whoever wins the starting role will heavily depend on how the two infielders perform over the next week of games.

Who will be the Yankees' Game 3 starter?

The Yankees have a strong one-two punch in Max Fried and Carlos Rodon that would make them a tough series to win for any opponent, but they haven't quite cemented who their Game 3 starter should be. 

Called up in early July, Cam Schlittler has proven to be a pivotal part of the Bombers' rotation. His high-90s fastball and wipeout slider have helped him cruise to a respectable 3.41 ERA while striking out 69 batters in just over 60 innings pitched. The emergence of the young righty was unexpected by most, and it now poses the question of whether he should be in the postseason rotation or not.

As for the other contender for this position, the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year, Luis Gil, has looked sharp in his nine starts since returning from the injured list. He's posted a 3.33 ERA and notched a 4-1 record in 46 innings tossed this season.

While still both very young, Gil's postseason experience from 2024 may be enough to give him the edge in this starter showdown. Schlitter's efforts will not go unused, though, as the 24-year-old's arm will likely be used out of the bullpen if he doesn't cut the rotation. 

Yankees need to define bullpen roles

Throughout the Yankees' rollercoaster 2025 campaign, the bullpen has been one of the largest question marks since day one. 

After acquiring Devin Williams from a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on December 13, 2024, it seemed like the Bombers would have one of the best back-ends of a bullpen in the league, featuring Williams and Luke Weaver. Unfortunately for New York, the cards didn't fall that way this season, as Williams has greatly underachieved his expectations, and Weaver hasn't shown the same prowess.

The Yankees made sure to patch this late-game problem up at the trade deadline, acquiring closer David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 30-year-old, whom teammates have nicknamed "El Oso," has locked down the 9th inning, posting a 2.50 ERA and notching 25 saves on the year.  

As for other bullpen roles, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has yet to find who he feels comfortable placing in high-leverage situations, which is a bad problem to have heading into stressful playoff games.

While Williams and Camilo Doval have both looked dominant in their recent appearances, some relievers will not only be playing for a chance to be trusted to pitch in high-leverage situations, but mainly to make the postseason roster as a whole. 

It's been on-brand as of late for the Yankees to be heading into the postseason without every question answered, but it seems as if roster issues are beginning to be figured out during the final stretch of the season.

A long-term shortstop and finding out who will be sticking around in the bullpen are both conversations for the offseason, because as of now, the Bombers are hoping to create a game plan that will land them back in the World Series for the second straight year.